Ichi's Garden: Cheese plant - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
Who says and where does the name come from? "widow" plant? Many people have known this plant as Monstera. So, what is the story about it, any intriguing side behind this green foliage? This is my story that I treasure and stay in my storage of mind forever.
Cheese plant or some say Swiss Cheese plant was one of the foliage plants in my father's mini botanic garden. There were numerous flowers and plants with rage diversity in my father's garden landscape. He had been starting to collect those floras since the house finished. My father designed our big yards perfectly with a meticulous job where he selected the flower, foliage, and trees, that suited each spot. He said all black shiny stones with medium and small sizes that used to create a more natural look view at the garden were freshwater stones. I had no clue where he got those stones as we did not live in any nearby river. He chose a Cheese plant to fill one of the pots arranged in the terrace house.
Like other flowers collections, I did not know where this Monstera came from, did my father bought it from a garden shop or picked it from his friend's house, I was clueless. I even did not take notice when he planted it. It was probably during weekends when I had always been busy with my friends, my father spent his time doing gardening at home. Eventually, I found Monstera was fascinating when one of my father's siblings said, "Oh, I have this plant too at home, the name is "Holes of The Widow"." I was curious why a plant had such a name, it was weird and improper for me. I loved Biology and I was not on the page in this name. Moreover, I had believed this greeny plant had a Latin name just like another. For that reason, Monstera captivated me and I have admired this unique foliage since then.
After years living in Singapore, someday I saw a greeny foliage plant that have holes in its leaves. No doubted that it was the same plant in my father's garden collections. I bought it and now I have had this plant for about 5 years. I am delighted to have it in my mini "garden." It does not only remind me of my father's garden but also gives me a smile whenever I miss my father. Yeah, I have tried to find and buy flowers and plants that exist in my father's yards in the past because nowadays those are not in there anymore.
Each plant and flowers in my "garden" have their own stories. For me, personally, gardening is not a hobby like many people say. This is a passion, a job, and about responsibility to mother nature. That was what my father taught me. If some people think that planting flowers is a hobby then they would only fascinate with extravagant plants. This is what I have seen nowadays where many (mostly) my friends from the place I come from do gardening for a fancy and status social in the community. The more they collect such pricey plants or flowers, the more they wish for compliments. The aim is different if we love nature, the goal is to preserve and protect nature including the habitant in it so that we can create a better world for the next generation where humans and nature coexist side by side. Sometimes I just wonder, those priceless plants and flowers actually exist in the village some years ago where I lived in my hometown. Aglaonema, Caladium, Alocasia, Euphorbia, including Monstera, and many others, those were abundant in the past. For the past years, many villagers have been chop down trees, decimate plants that create habitat loss for some creatures for example birds, dragonflies, butterflies, squirrels et cetera, as the result, native village plants and flowers are sold in the garden shop at high-priced. One of my friends acknowledges it as he mentions that the nectarine bird is no longer spot in his hometown and is long gone because some or many people do not aware of the importance of trees and flora to its residents. In addition, deforestation will definitely aggravate the damage to nature. We, humans, are the ones who ruin our own world. If our world changes, the balance collapses, where would we live? 🙄 Exodus to Mars?🤔
My Cheese plant is also known as Monstera story has lots of meaning in my life. Besides reminding of my father, it is also my responsibility to preserve this unique plant. This is one of my jobs to keep it exist so that someday when I have kids I can tell them the story of my Monstera. It would be intriguing storytelling and will encourage them to do the same thing; love our nature and treasure it.
Note:
- Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
- Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
- Do not copy this article without permission
- Do not reuse this photograph anywhere else without permission
